People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 May 1896 — Letter from Taubeneck. [ARTICLE]

Letter from Taubeneck.

Tne following is a letter written by Chairman Taubeneck to the Joliet [lll ] News in reply to an inquiry regarding a fake dispatch recently sent out from Indianapolis: Chas. H. Ferris. Joliet. Ill.— My Dear Sir: Yours of the 20th inst., enclosing clipping from Jhe Chicago Record, containing press dispatch from Indianapolis dated May 16, giving what is susposed to be the procedings of a conference between the Indi ana Bimetallists and SilverDemocrats, received yesterday. In reply will state that so far as headquarters and the National Committee are concerned, there is not one word of truth in the report. It is a deliberate falsehood and fabrication from beginning to end. If Indiana populists have gone into a combination of this kind, they have not taken any one in other States into their confidence. No populist, bimetallist or silver democrat has ever mentioned a single word to me about a combination, as stated in the dispatch. I You must accept, with much allowance, any thing that comes from Indianapolis; Twice before and within the last year, have fake statements and dispatches, in which populists have figured, emanated from that city. I re-|

peat, as I have a hundred times before, that no union of the reform forces can ever be perfected in either of the old parties. I have spent too much time and labor to get people to leave the old parties and I shall not advise them to go back regardless of what their respective parties may do. Populist editors and populists in general must realize that we can not control the columns of the old party press. We have no way to prevent them from publishing fake statements. Anything that appears along those lines, especially now when there seems to be a break-up in the ranks of the old parties, must be accepted with much allowance. It matters not what the democratic party may do at Chicago, or what the bimetallists may do at St. Louis, or whether they meet us at all; the people’s party will hold a national convention July 22, make a platform and nominate candidates for for President and Vice President. Our convention will be controlled by populists, and whatever is done at that convention will be the work of the representatives of the people’s party elected by members of that party throughout the United States. This report from Indianapolis, in regard to the populists indorsing the nominees of the Chicago Convention, is on a par with the statement made about a oneplank platform, or a single silver plank platform. There is not a populist in the United States, so far as I know, who has ever advocated a one-plank, platform still less a single silver plank platform. I never did, and do not now, favor such a platform 5 . It is no credit to a gentleman or a populist paper to misrepresent the views of others. The talk of selling out, controlling State conventions and State delegates, is a downright insult to every populist in the land. As though populists could be persuaded to do something against their convictions! It is humiliating to the people’s party to have populist papers to publish such nonsense. If I had no better opinion of the average populist then these papers express I would certainly give up the contest as hopeless. I know the populists are honest, and at our National convention they will do that which is best foa the party and our country. Every populist in the United States has a right to express his opinion as to what the platform should contain. He also has a right to work and vote • to select delegates who will represent his views in the National convention. Anything short of this means to throttle free thought and free speech. The delegates to the National Convention will do that which is best for the party and our country as the conditions confront us in 1896. That is they will do that which is best for the people’s party, and not for either of the old parties. Whether the silver 1 organization throughout the United States meet with us at St. Louis or not, will not in the slightest degree deter us from pursuing the same course as they had not called a convention for the same date and place as ours. Nor will the people’s party ever surrender the principle the Government alone has the right to issue the money, whether it is gold, silver or paper, and that all money must be a full legal lender and not redeemable in coin. Let the populists throughout the United States elect good, honest, true, cool and deliberate men as delegates to the Nationl Convention, and we need not have the slightest fear as to the result.

The people’s party, at its National Convention, will take care of itself regardless of what the democrats may do at Chicago. I have no time to enter in to a controversy with any member of our party: no good can result from this Dissension in our ranks is the last argument to win recuits. lam anxious that our National Convention shall be a success in unitin# all the elements opposed to present conditions. We need every voter whois dissatisfied with the old parties. I repeat again, that so far as the National Committee is concerned, this report from Indianapolis is a deliberate falsehood, manafactured for the purpose of creating dissension in our ranks. And, if it does create any dissen, sention, the populists will be responsible for it. We onght not to let these reports interfere with what is our duty toward our country. Nothing would suit the republicans and democrats so well as dissension in our ranks; especially now when they know we will recieve a large following from their ranks in the South and West. Yours for our cause, H. E, Taubeneck.